Typographical machine



Feb. 6, 1934. R. H. TURNER TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Filed July 30, 1932 /va/e i@ HNSOM% MM ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UlrIiTllD STATES TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Ransom H. Turner, Auburndale, N. Y., assignor to Intertype Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 30, 1932. Serial No. 626,947

12 Claims. (Cl. 1239-47) The primary objects of the present invention are to provide means for casting slugs or type bars which will have a blank portion thereon of the proper height to directly support printing plates bearing illustrations or cuts, and more especially for casting slugs or type bars having characters cast on their printing edge as Well as such blank portion thereon so that they may be employed to support printing plates which are intended to appear in one or another position on a printed page and which may be surrounded, either in whole or in part, by the printed lines.

In practice, it is usual to mount such printing plates on wooden support blocks and to cut off the slugs to the required length to t properly around the blocks but such practice is objectionable since it requires additional work in the makeup of forms and is therefore costly and, moreover, it is very difficult to achieve by such practice the required accuracy because the wooden blocks swell and shrink and usually cannot be used for more than one make-up.

The present invention aims to overcome these objections by casting the slugs in the usual typographical machine to the exact height to directly receive and support the printing plates at the exact printing height without the necessity of using underlay of any kind, or to cast slugs of a given length to suit the columns on the printed page, a part of the length of the slugs having type characters thereon and the remainingl portion thereof being blank but of the proper height to support the printing plate directly thereon instead of cutting oi the blank portion and employing the usual mounting blocks for the printing plates. While it has already been proposed to mill oif the surface of the blank portion of slugs to support printing plates, such a procedure is objectionable because itrequires a special milling machine, and such additional milling operation consumes valuable time.

According to the present invention, the character-bearing matrices are punched to such depth that when used in conjunction with a mold of suitable height from its front face to its back face, the slugs when cast will have the blank portion-s thereof adjacent to the type characters of the proper height to receive and support printing plates or cuts of the standard thickness at the exact type height, that is, at the same printing height as the printing face of the type characters. For example, the standard printing plate is .065 inch thick, so that, if the characters on the usual matrices were punched to that depth, the type characters on slugs cast therefrom would stand at the standard type height, that is to say, .918 inch, while the blank portions of the slugs would stand .065 inch less than this standard type height, and a printing plate laid on the blank portion of the slugs would then have its :5;

tioned, `orthe thickness of the printing plates ,4

used may vary under different conditions or in different classes of work or in different countries. The arrangement provided by the present invention is intended to meet the requirements of such changes or variations, it providing novel means for casting the blank portions on slugs to a height to suit any given condition that may exist.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a type form embodying slugs or type bars produced according to the present invention and printing plates supported thereby;

Fig. 1a is a perspective view of vone of the individual slugs or type bars;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken through a slug casting mold, a cooperative line of matrices made in accordance with the present invention and the mouthpiece of a metal pot, one of the character-bearing matrices in the line being shown in elevation;

y Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing one of the quad matrices embodying the present invention in elevation;

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of the casting edges of two different forms of quad matrices that may be used;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing another embodiment of the invention.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several figures.

The slug casting means provided by the present invention may be applied to line casting machines of diiTerent kinds, but it is applicable more particularly to typographical machines of the well known class shown and described generally in Letters Patent No. 436,532, granted September 16, 1890, wherein, as is Well known to those skilled in the art, matrices stored in a magazine are delivered therefrom by manipulation of an appropriate keyboard and assembled into lines and the lines are presented to the face of a mold in which slugs or type bars are cast against the character-bearing edges of the matrices, after which the matrix lines are removed from the mold and returned by appropriate distributing mechanism to their proper places in the magazine.

In the present instance, 1 represents the cap, 2 the body and 3 the end liners which define the slug casting cavity 4 of a mold such as that commonly used in machines of this class, and 5 represents the upper end of the spout of a metal pot of the conventional form used for injecting molten. metal into the mold cavity, the spout having a mouthpiece 6 thereon which is locked up during the casting operation against the rear face of the mold in the usual and well known way, the matrix line, during the casting operation, being alined and locked up against the front face of the mold to close its cavity during the casting operation, and the type bar or slug being cast against the matrix line.

Each character-bearing matrix 7, according to the present invention, and which may have upper and lower character punchings 8 and 9 in its mold engaging or casting edge, has these punchings made to such a depth that, when such depth of the punchings is added to the depth of the mold cavity from front to back, the slug cast in the mold will have a total height, including that of the type characters, which will be equal to a predetermined type height, for example .918 inch, which is the standard type height used in the United States. The relation between the depth of punching of the characters 8 and 9 andthe depth of the mold cavity 4, however, is such that the blank portions produced on a cast slug by using standard quad or Vblank matrices in the line with such characterbearing matrices, will be of such a height on the slug that a printing plate or cut when laid thereon will have its printing surface at the same standard type height as the printing surface of the characters cast on the slug, as, for example, a standard type height of .918 inch. Obviously, if a different standard type height is employed, as is the case in different-countries, the same relation as just recited can nevertheless be provided.

While this method of producing slugs-to directly receive printing plates or cuts is generally satisfactory, a more exible means for providing a blank portion of proper height on slugs to support such printing plates can be obtained according to the arrangement now to be described. Instead of punching the characters in the character-.bearing matrices to a depth of say .065 inch, that is to say, equal to the thickness or height of ordinary printing plates, it is proposed to punch the characters in such matrices to a depth greater than the thickness or height of the printing plates and to provide novel means for casting a raised surface on the blank portions on slugs bearing type characters cast from such matrices, which raised surface will then directly supportvthe printing plate at the required type height;

One embodiment of the invention for accomplishing this result involves the employment of special quad matrices, one of which is designated l0 in Fig. 3. Such special quad matrices are each provided with a shallow depression 11 in its mold engaging or casting face at a height to aline with the casting cavity in the mold, such special quad matrices diiering in this respect from the usual quad matrices which are without such depressions. The purpose of the depressions 1l in the special quad matrices is to raise the blank portions of slugs cast from matrices having the characters punched therein to a greater depth than the thickness of printing plates when such special quad matrices are used in conjunction with such character matrices to ll out a line to the full column width for which the slug is intended. These depressions in the special quad matrices may be of any desired shape or size, the depression 11a in the quad matrix shown in Fig. 5 being in the form of a circular, punched area, but such depression may obviously be square if desired, or it may comp-rise merely a network of ne diagonal lines as shown at 11b in Fig. 4, the latter type of depression being particularly advantageous where it is the practice to glue the printing plates to the support surfaces on the slugs, since the grilled surface reproduced on the slug by such network offers a large number of minute pockets to hold the glue and rmly clinch or key the under side of the printing plate thereto. The circular form of depression in the quad matrix as shown in Fig. 5 will, however, provide pockets between the raised portions formed thereby on the slugs for the retention of glue.

Assuming that the characters 8 and 9 in the character-bearing matrices 7 are punched to a depth somewhat in excess of the thickness of the printing plate P (Fig. 1) and, correspondingly, the mold cavity 4 is less than ordinary type height or depth from front to back of the mold by an amount equal to the depth of the character punchings 8 and 9, the quad matrices 10, when used in a line with the character-bearing matrices 7, as when assembled therewith to ll out the line, as shown,l in Fig. 6, will, by Virtue of the depressions 11, 11a or 11b therein, raise the height of the slug over the portion of its length lled out thereby, suiiiciently to support a printing plate at the same height as the characters cast on the slug from the matrices 7. Fig. la shows a slug S cast from a line of character-bearingV matrices '7 and quad matrices 10 in the manner described, this slug having character-bearing portions s for aY portion of its length, reproduced from the character punchings in the matrices 7, and having raised areas s formed on the blank end of the slug or the remainder of its length, by the depressions 11 or 11a in the quad matrices v10. Fig. 1 shows a group of such slugs, wherein the printing plates P are supported on the raised areas s cast on the blank portions of the slugs, so that the printing surfaces of the printing plates stand at the same height as the printing surfaces of the type characters s.

While the usual blank quad matrices might be employed to produce the low blank portions on slugs if such quad matrices were used in conjunction with a mold of proper depth and with character-bearing matrices punched to the proper depth, for example .065 inch or the thickness of ordinary printing plates, such a` practice would not be satisfactory because a line of quad matrices will often produce raised lines or socalled hair lines on the slugs cast against them,

these raised lines varying in height and being produced by the flow of the molten metal into spaces between the adjoining walls of the matrices which are not always sufficiently close Y 'wherein the character punchings in the characto be metal-tight. Therefore, the hereinbefore described Vspecial quad matrices, which preferably have a hat bottom punched depression and thin side walls similar to those existing in the ordinary character-bearing matrices, assure the casting of smooth blank surfaces on the slugs and thus eliminate the formation of the objectionable raised lines referred to and which may interfere with the proper fiat seating of the printing plates on the slugs, the improved quad matrices assuring the uniform formation on the slugs of raised surfaces of a predeterv mined exact height.

Instead of employing the special quad matrices hereinbefore described to cast slugs having the raised portions thereon as hereinbefore described, such slugs may be cast by the arrangement shown in Fig. '7. In this embodiment of the invention, the usual right hand vise jaw 12 is arranged to quad out the blank portions of lines, as shown for example in Letters Patent No. 698,155 granted July 26, A1898. In such an arrangement, it is not necessary to employ quad matrices to fill out the line at the right hand end, but assuming the character-bearing matrices 7 used in the line between the. vise jaw 12 and the vise jaw i3 to be punched to a greater depth than the thickness or depth of the ordinary printing plates, the rear face of the jaw 12 or the face thereof which engages the front face of the mold is provided with depressions or recesses 12a which, like the depressions ll in the quad matrices hereinbefore described, may be of any shape and will lie in a row longitudinally of the vise jaw and at the usual level of the mold cavity 4. Since it may happen that the printing plate is to be located at either side of the printed lines or characters, the left hand vise jaw 13 is preferably also provided with a row of similar depressions 13a at the level of the casting cavity in the mold. It will be understood that the jaw 13 may be set on machines of the class referred to to different positions according to the length of the matrix line to be introduced between the vise jaws, and that the mold cavity may extend to the left beyond the matrix engaging face of the jaw, so that provision of the depressions 13a in the jaw i3 will, in such event, produce raised portions on the slugs cast in the mold, these raised portions having the same purpose and effect as the raised portions cast on the slugs by the blank matrices as hereinbefore described, Obviously, the depressions 12an or 13a in the respective vise jaws may comprise networks of ne lines to form grilled surfaces on the slugs to support the printing plates, as hereinbefore described with respect to the quad'matrices. It will be understood that in using the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, the slug will bear print- 'i ing characters s along that portion of its length which is cast against the character-bearing matrices 7 and that the raised portions s' on the blank or remaining portion of the length of the slug will be cast by the depressions 12a, or 13a, in one or the other of the vise jaws, the portion of the length of the mold cavity not closed by the character-bearing matrices being closed by the movement of one or the other of the vise jaws toward the other vise jaw, the matrices in the line being tightly clamped or locked tonary printing plates.

Fgether byfthe usual vise' jaw closing means as :commonly used` on typographical machines of the class referred to.

In each of the embodiments herein shown ter bearing matrices are punched to a depth greater than/the depth or thickness of standard printing plates, the height of the mold from front to back is such that the blank portion of the slug or type bar will be cast to a height lessv than the height of a standard printing plate supporting block, and the depressions in the quad matrices or the vise jaw or jaws will Vbe of such depth that they will form on the blank portion ofV the slug raised portions or surfaces at the height of a standard printing plate supporting bloclhfthe height of these raised portions or surfaces above the adjacent blank portion of the slug being equal tothe excess depth of the character punchings in the character bearing matrices over the depth or thickness of ordi- The type characters cast on the slug, in each instance, will be at a given type height on a portion of the length of the slug, while the remaining portion of the length i of the slug will be cast to a height more than a predetermined amount, such as the depth or thickness of a standard printing plate, below such given type height, and the raised portions or surfaces on such remaining portion of the i slug will be cast thereon to a height within such predetermined amount below such given type height, so that a printing plate having a thickness or depth equal to said predetermined amount and supported on said raised portions or surfaces Will have its printing surface at the same type height as the printing faces of the type characters on the slug.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In a typographical machine, means for casti ing a type slug of predetermined length and to a predetermined height less than the height of a standard printing plate block, and means for casting raised portions at intervals along the length of said slug to a height equal to the height of a standard printing plate block.

2. In a typographical machine, means for casting a type slug of predetermined length and to a height less than the height of a standard print- -ing plate block, means for casting type characters along a portion of the length of said slug to a height above said slug height in excess of the thickness o-f a standard printing plate, and means for casting raised portions at predetermined intervals along the remainder of said slug length to '1 a height equal to the height of a standard printing plate block.

3. In a typographical machine, means for casting a type slug of a predetermined length and to a predetermined height less than the height of a standard printing plate block, means for casting type characters to a given type height on a portion of said length of the slug, and means for casting longitudinally-separated raised portions on the remainder of said length of the slug to a height within a predetermined amount less than saidV given type height.

4. In a typographical machine having means for casting a type slug of a predetermined length,

the combination of means for casting type char- I'.

acters to a given type height on a portion of said length of the slug, means for casting the remaining portion of said length of the slug to a height more than .065 inch below said given type height,

and means for casting longitudinally-separated raised surfaces on said remaining portion of said length of the slug to a height within .665 inch of said given type height.

5. In a typographical machine, the combination of a mold for casting a slug of less height than the height of a standard printing plate supporting block, and means cooperative with said mold for forming a longitudinally-interrupted surface on said slug at the height of a standard printing plate supporting block.

6. In a typographical machine, the combination of a mold for casting a slug of less height than the height of a standard printing plate supporting block, and a set of non-character bearing matrices for forming a longitudinally-interrupted surface on said slug substantially at the height of such standard printing plate supporting block.

'.7. In a typographical machine, the combination of a mold for casting a slug of less height than the height of a standard printing plate supporting block, and a set of non-character bearing matrices having depressions in their casting faces and spaced from their side walls for forming longitudinally-separated raised portions on said slug substantially at the height of such standard printing plate supporting block.

8. In a typographical machine, a mold provided with a slug casting cavity of a depth to cast a slug of less height than the height of a standard printing plate block, and a pair of vise jaws each having a casting face cooperative with said mold to close a portion of its cavity, at least one oi' the jaws having iixed recesses spaced longitudinally in its casting face of a depth to form raised portions at the height of such standard printing plate block en a slug cast in said mold.

9. In a typographical machine having a mold provided with a slug casting cavity, a pair of vise jaws each having a casting face cooperative with said mold to close a portion of the cavity, at least one of said jaws having longitudinally-spaced recesses in its casting face to form raised portions of a predetermined height, less than standard type height on a slug cast in said mold.'

10. A type bar or slug having printing characters cast to standard type height on a portion of its length, and raised surfaces spaced longitudinally on the remainder of its length standing substantially .065 inch below type height.

11. A type bar or slug having raised portions cast on and spaced longitudinally of its printing edge below normal type height for supporting a standard printing plate thereon at a level to bring its printing surface to normal type height.

12. A type bar 0r slug adapted to support print= ing plates and the like, which comprises a body portion having a height less than the necessary supporting surface height, and having upon one edge of said body portion a non-continuous face portion presenting a substantial area of supporting surface at said necessary height.V

RANSOM H. TURNER. 

